Coal-chute.



A. L. PARKMAN.

COAL CHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14. 1915.

l 1 82,853 Patented May 9, 1916.

FF'EQE.

ALVAH L. PARKMAN, OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

COAL-CI-IUTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

Application filed September 14, 1915. Serial No. 51,116.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALvAii L. PARKMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Leominster, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coal-Chutes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to chutes for conveying coal, grain, or other products from one point to another, and has for its object the production of an article of this character which will permit these products to be retarded at the delivery end of the chute and drop gently from the hopper there located.

The invention consists primarily in a hopper secured to the lower end of the chute, this hopper having a vertical spiral wall with an inclined bottom extending inwardly therefrom and curving upwardly at its delivery end.

The invention further consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be fully understood by reference to the description of the drawings and to the claims hereinafter given.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 represents a plan of a chute embodying the principles of the present invention. Fig. 2 represents an elevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section of the same on line 3-3 on Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 represents a transverse section of the same on line 44 on Fig. 1.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings, 10 is an inclined trough having secured to its lower end the hopper 11 into which is delivered coal or other material deposited in said trough. Preferably the hopper 11 is pivotally secured to the lower end of the trough 10 by means of the alined members 12 each having a clamping nut 13 on its threaded shank. By means of this pivotal connection between the hopper 11 and trough 10 the latter may be adjusted at any desired inclination relative to the former, the side wall 14 of the hopper and the side walls 15 of the trough both being provided with elongated slots 16 through which the pivot members 12 extend.

The side wall 14 of the hopper 11 is spiral with one end secured to one side wall of the trough 10, while the other end of said wall 14 is secured to the opposite side wall of the trough 10. The wall 14 has a downwardly inclined bottom flange 17 extending inwardly from its lower edge onto which the material in the trough 10 is deposited when it reaches the lower edge of said trough.

The inclination of the bottom flange 17 constantly increases as it follows the convolutions of the spiral wall 14, while its upper edge at the same time gradually rises to a point above the delivery end of said trough 10. The inner edge 18 of the bottom flange 17 is at such a distance from the wall 14 as to leave an opening 19 through which the material may be discharged from the hopper 11, the inner end of the wall 14 terminating over this opening with the flange 17 almost vertical as at 20.

The chute is primarily designed for coal with the object of preventing its breakage and making it possible to deliver coal from one point to another without too much waste.

It is obvious that as the coal passes down the trough 10 it will be deposited upon the bottom flange 17 and its impetus will be such that it will follow the spiral wall 14 and as it passes along the bottom flange 17 and up the raised portion thereof its speed will be materially lessened and its final discharge through the opening 19 in the bottom of the hopper 11 will be without force. In view of this retarding of the coal before its final discharge the coal will drop so gently that its breakage is almost entirely prevented.

When desired it is obvious that two of these chutes may be used together to ad,

vantage, one above the other, and the upper one delivering into the upper end of the trough of the lower chute.

It is obvious that the chute may be used for other materials, as for instance, p0- tatoes, which must be delivered from the bottom of the chute so gently that they will not become bruised or otherwise damaged.

It will be noted that the opening 19 and the greater portion of the hopper 11 is at one side of the delivery end of the trough 10.

It is believed that the operation and many advantages of this invention will be fully understood from the foregoing description.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a chute, an inclined trough provided at its lower end with a hopper formed of a spiral wall having an inclined bottom projecting inwardly therefrom, said bottom curving upwardly at its delivery end.

spiral Wall one end of which is connected to a side of said trough While its other end terminates substantially in the center of said hopper beyond the other side of the trough.

Signed by me at Leominster this eighth day of September, A. D. 1915.

ALVAH L. PARKMAN.

lVitnesses ETHEL H. DIvoLL, ELEANOR M. HILDiC-K.

come:- 01 this patent may be obtained "for five cents each, b addressing the Commissioner or mum.

Washington, D. '0." 

